A Journey from Love to Leadership
An Interview with Ricky Lewis
Ricky Lawrence Lewis
Introduction
It’s been said that when you believe in something with all of your heart and mind, you bring it to life.
There is a song inspired by the 1970’s soul rendition of “Love, Peace, and Happiness” by the Chamber Brothers by the name of “All of My Love…”. It is sung by multiple university based Black Greek lettered organizations including Omega Psi Phi, Fraternity. Inc.
Love is about Prospering relationships, Preserving what you have built, and Protecting what you love.
As a student and teacher of leadership, I have observed and studied leaders in multiple facets including public and civic sectors, private and non-profit domains, and the religious provinces. One of the things that I seek to understand is what drives those leaders to be successful (or not successful) and what motivates them to take on the mantle of leadership in their respective areas. Leadership isn’t easy. Every day brings a new set of challenges and obstacles to overcome. Those that aspire and choose to take on leadership roles are often compelled by a myriad of forces that inspire them to succeed and prosper.
In my work as a leadership coach, I see my clients consistently bombarded with problems, issues, complaints, and crises. The choices they make as they tackle these day-to-day challenges are a big part of what distinguishes them as good, or great leaders (or in some cases, bad leaders).
In this article, the question you will learn the answer to is, “What drives Ricky Lewis to lead a 110-year-old historically significant organization?”
Ricky Lawrence Lewis was born in Pensacola, FL later moving to Los Angeles, CA. He graduated from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA, where he was initiated into the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. in 1981. Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., founded in 1911, at Howard University, is a historically African American fraternal organization. Lewis is a life member now seeking the highest office in the organization as the 42nd Grand Basileus leading the fraternity.
I first met Ricky about fifteen years ago. I became involved in a program that he founded and is now the Executive Director, the Youth Leadership Conference and Mentoring Program in Los Angeles (YLC). This program has impacted the lives of over 8,800 young men over the last 28 years. Lewis sees this conference as one of his greatest accomplishments. This is where I experienced Ricky’s leadership abilities first-hand. He is a no-nonsense leader, stickler for time, and a detail-oriented person determined to get it right. Ricky was direct and assertive and accepted no excuses for falling short on goals. I also saw a man truly caring about the young people the program is intended to serve. This task was a mission of commitment – it took time, effort and dedication to pull it off; there was no paycheck, no financial gain, only the satisfaction of serving and making a difference in the lives of the youth participants.
I also had the opportunity to experience his leadership acumen when I attended several meetings at Ricky’s home chapter, Tau Tau, one of the largest chapters in Omega Psi Phi where I observed Ricky working with his “Team.” Because of the size of the chapter, meetings are run in a very disciplined manner. Members that want to speak have to be recognized by the president and line up to address the body and are governed by strict time constraints. Ricky seemed to always have something to say about almost every issue. Now, everyone did not always agree with him, but they always listened intently because they knew what he was saying came from the heart and was meant to strengthen the organization and its purpose. It was evident that his intentions were related to duty and honor towards the fraternity.
Prospering
One of the most important elements a leader needs to focus on in guiding any organization is to ensure its prosperity. Seeing that an organization grows and thrives is one of the most essential challenges a leader must face. Leadership does come with its own rewards and benefits. Among them are, reflecting your leadership values, and gaining the commitment of the people you are leading. Most important is effectively elevating an organization’s status and stature.
When I sat with Ricky Lewis to talk to him about his views on his leadership style, his values and goals, I wanted to know his plans for prospering the fraternity. I pondered why he thought he was the right man to take the reins of leadership of a fraternity trying to emerge from a global pandemic. His response was, “This fraternity has been a huge part of my life for over 40 years. I know how things work.”
Lewis wants members to look at what he has done and let his body of work speak for itself. Along with leading the YLC, he has served in multiple leadership roles in the fraternity including serving as the 12th District Representative, and currently serving as “second-in-command” as the 1st Vice Grand Basileus of Omega Psi Phi. These attainments only scratch the surface of the leadership roles that he has occupied in the organization.
While Lewis admits that he is not a perfect leader and that he is constantly looking to find ways to improve, he asserts that he is a “servant leader” and that he works to be a tool that serves those inside and outside of the fraternity. When asked, why should people follow him, he replied that “I will always do what is best for the organization and not what is best for me”. His goal is to move the needle forward. He wants to “build to the next level”.
He mentioned that during his campaign stops around the country, he was told that he can’t use that idiom because that is what the current leader of the organization said during his campaign. Lewis’ retort was, “why not? – The Ford Motor Co. builds their cars to the next level; Apple® builds their devices to the next level. They didn’t produce the first iPhone™ and then jump straight to the 13 model. It came in increments, with each reiteration building on the previous model.” Ricky’s mode of operation is to lead incrementally.
In some leadership circles, and in this instant gratification world that we live in, leaders are often pushed to make grand changes and solve problems overnight. Ricky’s approach leans towards building on previous accomplishments and continuing to build on the successes of the organization. Lewis sees his leadership role as a relay race. Leaders of this organization pass the baton to the next leader to build on previous achievements. He will take what he has learned from others and infuse that knowledge going forward to grow the organization and protect its standing in the community. He intends to work to give people the resources that they need to succeed. He seeks his guidance and inspiration from other leaders in the fraternity and likes to talk to those who will “give it to him straight”. It is with the help of his leadership team, and fraternity members, that he is confident he will make sure Omega prospers under his stewardship.
Preserving
The history of Omega Psi Phi is steeped in tradition and customs. Preserving its legacies and mores are essential to its survival. When I coach leaders, I use a strengths-based approach to help leaders focus on what they do best and how to accentuate those qualities to further their leadership objectives.
When Lewis was asked about his leadership strengths, he says he listens to everyone because “you never know what you will learn.” Lewis says he has no problem talking to leaders from the Devine Nine (Black sororities and fraternities) for advice. He says it is important to listen to a variety of opinions, as well as descents, and ideas from all facets. Lewis sees himself as a consensus builder and embraces the “huddle up” approach to garner other people’s perspectives. He wants to hear what is going on and does not like surprises. He strives to treat everyone with respect. Good leadership is about listening and respecting others and their opinions. Much too often leadership goes wrong because of a failure to listen. Dealing with complex situations and solving problems rests on the leader’s ability to hear what is actually happening, and respecting and gaining viewpoints from a wide variety of people.
As a child, Ricky says he never wanted his parents to go to a PTA meeting at school and receive bad news about him. Their opinion of the son they were raising was important to his development as a man and a leader. Lewis says he leads with integrity – his word is his bond, and you must do what you say you are going to do. He says that he attributes this philosophy to his parents, Harvey and Ethel. They taught him these values that he now lives by.
One of his father’s moral codes was don’t owe anybody and pay your debts. He would say, “If you owed somebody $20, and you only have $20”in your pocket then you don’t have any money”. His mother would exhort him to keep his affairs in order and stay in good stead with others. She would say, “When somebody knocks at your door, you should not have to worry about who it is.” A leader that builds trust with their followers encompasses these values and shows people they matter. These are qualities that successful leaders possess, and what great leaders exemplify consistently in their leadership roles.
In his current position as 1st Vice Grand Basileus, and while campaigning for the new position as 42nd Grand Basileus, Ricky travels frequently around the country and connects with the membership to attend events and meetings with the senior leadership team and fraternity members constantly. Lewis works tirelessly in his effort to promote the fraternity’s agenda while advancing its programs. This, along with countless other duties and responsibilities fills his days. Oh, and did I mention, that while doing all of this, he has a full-time job in the aerospace industry and a wife and two sons. One son is an adult and a captain in the U.S. Army, the other, a tenth grader. So, I asked him, with an already full plate how do you balance time between work, family, and the fraternity. He says he strives to be a good husband and father and that it is only because of their unwavering support he is able to meet all of his obligations and goals. He avowed that we all only have 24 hours in a day and believes that it is necessary to get things done early.
Lewis rises most days at 4:30 a.m. and sends out emails sometimes after midnight.And, as good leaders must do, he makes plans.Planning is a crucial element for leaders to set priorities and get things accomplished.Plans set boundaries and drive decisions that help leaders to accomplish their goals.
Protecting
I asked Ricky Lewis, what keeps him awake at night (as far as the fraternity goes)? His response - “protecting the brand, brother, protecting the brand”. Despite the mountain of good that fraternal organizations do in the community, they do get their fair share of negative impressions. The motto of Omega Psi Phi, Fraternity is “Friendship is Essential to the Soul.” The brand of the organization is grounded in supporting the activities and thinking that constructs a positive image rooted in friendship and service. Maintaining a positive identity of the fraternity is of paramount concern for Lewis. Any actions that damage the perceptions about the organization hurt the fraternity’s viability and reputation. “Having a positive brand gives you a seat at the table at the highest levels of influence”, says Lewis.
Brand stature is a vital element in the growth and survival of the institution in the 21st century. When I queried Lewis on the fact that if he is successful in his quest to become the 42nd Grand Basileus of Omega, he will be listed as one of the 100 most influential Black Americans, he recoiled with a sense of humble acceptance. He insisted that nothing changes for him. His commitment and intentions don’t change and his goals remain firm. While he does not expect to solve all of the organizational problems if he is elected, he will give his all to enhance its imprint. Lewis also believes it is important to, “do everything in his power not to sink the ship”
Lewis concedes that in this world of social media and cell phone cameras, it is increasingly more difficult to maintain a positive image that exudes the image and principles that most members expect to portray.However, he believes that with faith and a strong reliance on his leadership skills that the organization will continue to flourish and grow.To him, “protecting the brand” means keeping it around for generations to come, and that it means coming together to ensure that the brand remains strong.
Conclusion
So now we come to the question at hand, what drives Ricky Lewis to attain this lifelong goal of leading this great organization? While other leaders that I have studied are driven by virtuous causes, business successes; financial gains; or political motivations, it became apparent during this interview with Lewis that none of those reasons applied. It was obvious that his motivation is driven by apparently something more powerful. His inspiration is driven by love. When he speaks, he sounds like a man with an incorruptible dream; a passion that at its inner core is about love of ideals woven in friendship and brotherhood. It is about a love for the people in this organization and the purpose they serve to each other and the community. When he refers to “protecting the brand” he speaks as if he is talking about a loved one; something that he deeply cares about. His journey to leadership is not guided by money, power, or cause, but by his love and devotion to the organization and the members.
“All of my love, peace and happiness I will give to Omega” epitomizes Ricky Lewis’ inspiration and aspiration. It’s a journey from love to leadership. I wish him the best in life and in his future endeavors.
By Larry Hammond, Sr.
When Leadership Fails
As we are all dealing with the impact of the global pandemic, we have observed the good, the bad and the ugly of this international crisis. The pandemic will give scholars, authors and historians the opportunity to debate, access and analyze this global cataclysm for years to come. Much will be talked about as it relates to COVID-19, the human toll it has inflicted, as well as, it’s impact on our economy and our daily lives. As a student of leadership, my focus is on the “how” leaders responded during this event and how they served those they were charged with leading.
Read moreYou Were Built to Lead
My dad used to say “Life is a wonderful thing once you learn how to live it.”. For a long time, I thought that this aphorism was about the big things in life, like building a solid career, raising a family or having a positive impact on your community. While all of those things are certainly important, it wasn’t until I had an epiphany in my back yard that enlightened my idea on what my dad really meant. This realization was demonstrated to me while I was folding some lawn chairs for storage. For a couple of Summer seasons, I had great difficulty folding these particular chairs until one day in frustration, I slammed the chair legs on the ground only to find, much to my surprise, that the chair just collapsed and folded almost effortlessly. After successfully testing my system on the other chairs, I was elated. A great burden had been lifted from my soul. It was then that I began to see the value of how knowing the nuances about things can be very liberating. This led to me focusing on the “little” things that can really make a difference in maximizing my experiences on multiple levels.
For example, there are so many little things that if you just know how they function it would make your life easier. For years, I did not know that the hole in a soda can tab was designed to hold a straw. I also did not realize that the lid on a standard paper coffee cup was designed to be used as a coaster. These are only a few things that when you know how they work can make your life just a little bit better.
Applying this principal to understanding how things work like computers, smart phones and televisions can really make your life so much easier and richer. Now don’t get me wrong, I am no expert at any of these, but I do know that the more you know about these technologies the happier life can be.
Cars are an excellent demonstration of what I am talking about. Now when I go to rent a car it is a whole new experience. With all of the new technology that is now infused in automobiles, you never quite know what you are going to get. Not knowing the different features that a particular car has to offer; you can’t maximize the functionality. After driving the car for several days, you begin to figure out the different features.
Looking at something that is a bit more complicated, just like soda cans, cups and rental cars, children don’t come with a manual either. Parents raising children kind of have to figure it out as they go along. And, as most parents that have more than one child know, raising one child is entirely different from raising another.
Knowing how things function and knowing how to apply the different functionalities to meet specific purposes to achieve specific goals is critical to successfully accomplishing your objectives. Certain things are specifically designed for distinct functionalities. Keeping with the car themed analogies, certain vehicles work better in different situations. While race cars are perfectly suited to drive fast and handle with precision on a racetrack, they are not well suited for picking up groceries or carting the kids off to school. And, while your SUV or mini-van will do a much better job moving kids and groceries, they are not designed for speed or precision maneuvers.
Obviously, people are exponentially more complicated. Knowing how people in organizations function is fundamentally just as important as knowing the functionality of a car. As a leader, it is important to know how specific parts of your organization work and how the people work together to get things done.
Athletes develop their natural skills and talents to become the best at what they do. Whether their skill set is to dunk a basketball, score a goal or steal a base, it is the coach that needs to know how to put these talents together to formulate a winning strategy. Just like athletes that hone their skills to propel a team to victory and use their abilities to work in conjunction with other team members for the success of the team, people in organizations must do the same. Leaders should focus on developing talents and work to maximize teams using their collective strengths to attain successful outcomes. Just like knowing how to get the most out of your car or your technology; knowing how to get the most out of the people that you lead will get you the best results.
Unlike cars and technology, it is the human factor/emotional intelligence that connects us to others and enables us to lead with purpose; leading with heart matters. How you motivate, retain talent and improve morale are crucial leadership skills that require a human approach. All of us have had to make decisions, maintain relations and adapt to changes in our lives. These are the same challenges that leaders face on a daily basis.
Just as there are features on our cars and technology that we need to master, there are many elements of the people that you work with that you need to take the time and effort to learn and cultivate. You may work with people for years and not know their talents and nuances that may play a vital role in adding to your organizational operations. Learning these abilities will bolster your leadership impact. Maximizing an individual’s potential begins with knowing their talents, developing their abilities and building their work and careers around their strengths.
As with the cars you were built differently - for different purposes - but ALL of you have talents and skills that are distinctly yours. And, like the cars, can achieve a particular purpose in the leadership realm and make significant contributions to your organizations.
So, what does all of this mean? Leading in the 21st century requires a new style of leadership. I am not suggesting that everybody will be the CEO of a major corporation, or hold a high office in the political arena or marshal in a large scale cultural change – What I am saying is that we all poses talents that when cultivated contribute to organizational success.
No one person knows it all. Leaders must rely on those that they associate with to make good decisions, implement effective policies and to execute changes effectively.
We have long built our organizational objectives by molding people around our leadership goals; we now need to mold our leadership goals around the people. Change from boss mentality to coach mentality”
- Jim Clifton
Leadership is no longer judged by accomplishing big changes but by the small but significant operational contributions that move the needle and promote positive change.
Marin Luther King once said, “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way”.
An example of how making independent, relatively small decisions can make a huge difference in the grand scheme of things and can make a lasting imprint; Last year, one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history occurred at an Orlando nightclub. Chief Medical Examiner Joshua Stephany had been filling in as medical examiner for the county. Dr. Stephany made the decision to separate the bodies of the 49 victims from the body of their executioner. He said, - “There was no legal reason, no protocol” for separating the gunman, “It’s just what I felt was right.”.
“True leadership is doing the right thing and making the right decision at the right time.”
“Becoming a leader is synonymous with becoming yourself. It is precisely that simple and it is also that difficult.”
- Warren Bennis
As automobiles were built to transport people and things, each with their own unique features and capabilities contribute to getting the right job done with the right capabilities, so are you. How this is done is defined by the specifications of the vehicle. How you lead is defined in your specifications. Your specifications include many factors. Talents, thinking and emotions are defined in your unique specifications. They are your leadership tools.
You are built to make decisions and take actions to resolve problems. You are specially designed to build and cultivate relationships that create synergistic teams. When things go amiss, you are built to take decisive actions. When making plans, you think strategically and when executing those plans you use your powers of persuasion to influence others to help you accomplish your goals. When leading, you are built to instill trust in others and demonstrate courage when taking risk while managing change. These are your talents - Your talents are your tools -Your talents are the keys to your success!
Contact us and let’s get your leadership style identified to help you flex your skills and improve your work and life.
You Were Built to Lead!
Written by: Larry Hammond, Sr.
What is Going to Make YOU the Next Great Leader? What Will Take YOU to the Next Level?
As the workplace dynamics and life situations are rapidly evolving, there are multiple opportunities to assume leadership roles. Circumstances whether in your job or in your community or even in your family may require you to step up and lead. For example, I have seen one of the biggest and most consequential leadership roles that I have had to undertake was addressing the needs of my aging parents. In our communities, we often see that individuals are standing up to fight for what they believe in or to seek justice. In the workplace, organizations are moving more aggressively toward team management and project-based operations. These settings have made it even more imperative that organizations invest in growing leaders that can step into management roles to execute their organizational.
So, what do the experts say makes a great leader?
Great leaders get straight “A’s” on their leadership test. They exemplify authenticity, accountability, adaptability and appreciation.
Great leaders cast a compelling vision about where they want to go and they have faith in their beliefs - they create lasting solutions to problems not just band aide fixes and they create a thriving organizational culture.
Great leaders stay positive, exhibit confidence and have a sense of humor - they are clear about their goals and decisive in their decisions - they lead with courage, passion and humility.
Great leaders handle controversial issues or crisis calmly and confidently - they embrace failures and manage setbacks while taking responsibility for their actions - they learn from their mistakes and make the hard choices when they have to.
Great leaders embrace change and lead by example - they communicate effectively and are transparent in their actions.
These are what I call the brass ring objectives. These tend to be the buzz words of leadership development. These are the things that we often shoot for to become better leaders. While these are all good intentions and yes great qualities to have as a leader, they tend to be taught as the flavor of the month but, in reality, nobody embodies all of these leadership qualities. While a finely tuned racecar looks great and will perform competitively on the racetrack it won’t be a winner when you need to bring the groceries home from the store; your SUV will do a better job at that.
So how are you going to become the next great leader? What will get you prepared to step into a leadership role, willingly or unwillingly, and have the best chance to succeed?
We all take on leadership roles in very different ways. Depending on our talents and strengths as well as knowing our limitations we all approach the responsibilities of leading in very different ways. Through Gallup’s research, it was determined that the most effective leaders are always investing in strengths. Without an awareness of your strengths, it is almost impossible for you to lead effectively.
“We believe that when the right talent meets the right opportunity in a company with the right philosophy, amazing transformation can happen.” -- Reid Hoffman
In order to be an effective leader, you need to take stock of your personal characteristics and skill sets and assess your strengths and weaknesses. Further education in leadership and management coupled with continued professional development of your skills are key. In this age of digital enlightenment and rapidly evolving workplaces, the definition of effective leadership is constantly changing and to keep up, leaders need to continuously ask questions of themselves.
In the popular TV show, Game of Thrones – Peter Dinklage plays Tyrion Lannister a dwarf living in this fictional world where physical strength and the ability to engage in warfare are rewarded. When asked why he reads so many books, his answer is to improve his already strong mind. Knowing that because of his physical limitations, that he would never excel as a warrior, his best chance to lead and succeed was through his intellectual abilities. He knew his strength was his intelligence and that by enhancing his strongest asset he could not only survive in a chaotic world but he would excel as a leader.
Knowing your strongest assets are your best chance to be a successful leader. Understanding not only your strengths but those of your team and bringing those talents to bear in your leadership endeavors is your best path to being a great leader. Knowing your strengths and those of your team is like having a blueprint of why you are or why your team members are the way that they are is like having a manual on how to make yourself or your team members function at optimal efficiency.
In my previous articles, I have been talking about knowing your strengths is understanding your “YUR”. Why you tackle certain challenges the way you do; why you react the way you do; why you lead the way you do are all encompassed in how you use your strengths. For example, if one of your strengths is communication you will lead best if you use this talent to influence others. Empathizing easily with others will take you a long way in your leadership responsibilities by helping to build strong relationships. Having strong analytical skills, will help you devise effective strategies while leading a team and if you are a person possessing an acute ability to focus then you will use this strength to lead your team in successfully executing their projects.
“Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is about growing others.” – Jack Welch
As a person that has “Maximizer” as my top talent theme according to the Gallup StrenghtsFinder assessment, I understand that great leaders know that people are key to your success. One of the keys to being a great leader, in my opinion, is being able to instill power within others. Lifting others up, inspiring them to grow and bringing out the best in people is the best way to create more leaders. A true leader is able to inspire their team to encourage them to go beyond excellence and accomplish far more than anyone expects them to – or they expect of themselves. Great leaders earn their team’s respect. They do this by getting to know their team by listening, providing productive feedback and they encourage cooperation over competition.
“You cannot have faith in people unless you take action to improve and develop them.” -- Sumantra Ghoshal
The other side of the leadership equation is encompassed in why followers follow. In the book written by Tom Rath and Barry Conchie, Strengths Based Leadership, Rath and Conchie outline how you can effectively lead using your unique strengths. I highly recommend reading this book and with it you will get a code that will allow you to take Gallup’s StrengthsFinder Assessment.
If you are ready to find out what shapes your ability to be an effective leader and you are ready to maximize your “YUR” by discovering your talents, declaring your strengths and developing them into dynamic tools that will make you the next great leader V1H Consulting will help you to evolve your “YUR”.
“What great leaders have in common is that each truly knows his or her strengths – and can call on the right at the right time.” --Tom Rath
“How You Do Anything is How You Do Everything”
A Strengths Based Approach
Martha Beck is credited with coining the quote, “How you do anything is how you do everything”. This quotation has been widely used in a variety of training seminars, motivational talks and many books and periodicals. It would suggest that how you manage most situations, challenges or other experiences in your life is probably a good indication of how you handle almost all of the occurrences in your life. When I first heard this quote in a leadership seminar a few years ago, I wasn’t quite sure if this was really true and, if it was, how I would process this information. Typically, statements that include words like anything or everything are usually very broad expressions and, quite frankly, I interpret them with guarded reservations. For example, when I looked at the relationships that I have had in my life, or some of the actions that I have taken, I didn’t necessarily see a correlation to that statement. My relationships varied widely and because I may procrastinate on doing yard work that didn’t necessarily mean that I procrastinated in doing other things, especially things that I enjoyed doing. Also, while my desk may get a little messy, my car stays clean. And, I certainly would not want to compare how I play basketball or sing, for example, with how I do other things in my life. So, while I did see some things that fit in this model, my personal experiences didn’t seem to fit this doctrine consistently enough to solidify it in my consciousness.
Do you ever wonder why you make certain choices? Why you do what you do? Why you like certain things? In my last article, titled “YUR” which talked about how your talents and strengths determine why you do what you do, leads to the connection between strengths and the do everything scenario. Under the concept of “YUR” I have suggested that the core of why you do what you do is driven by using your strengths. As I viewed the do everything statement through the strengths lens, I could see a more definitive pattern that gave credence to this premise. As I developed the “YUR” concept, as it relates to StrengthsFinder, I began to see a pattern that provided more credibility to the notion that “how you do anything is how you do everything”. By looking at this quote in this new context, I saw it’s meaning in an entirely new perspective.
There are obviously some things we don’t do well. Strengths psychology pioneer Dr. Donald O. Clifton asked the question, “What will happen when we think about what is right with people instead of fixating on what is wrong?” This philosophy dictates that it is better to focus on the things that we do well. Why are we better at some things than others? There is a reason: It’s our talents. Our talents help us to understand why you are the way you are – ergo, your “YUR”. Knowing your talents helps us to understand how we naturally think and feel and they can shed light into our behaviors. Talents are aptitudes, personality traits and interpersonal characteristics like empathy, strategic thinking and assertiveness. These are things that you are born with. Infused with knowledge and the development of skills, these talents will become our strengths. These are enduring qualities in each of us because they are basically hardwired in our brains. In short, they affect our ability to reach our goals and desired outcomes. So, when you are using your talents and working in your strengths you can feel confident that when you do anything that you will find consistency in how you do everything and you can achieve the results that you desire when you know your talents and use your strengths to succeed.
When we look at others, such as, mentors, role models, leaders, etc. we look to them for inspiration and guidance but we also look to them to see if they do anything/everything consistently. Those that we admire for their accomplishments and are at the top of their game in what they do are using their strengths at the highest levels. Whether they are athletes, entertainers or in leadership positions they have discovered their talents and honed them to gain the maximum affect. It is their dedication, tenacity and work ethic that are driven and supported by their strengths. They repeat what has been working for them while enhancing their skills to improve outcomes. For example, a basketball player uses his or her skills as a 3-point shooter to have maximum impact on the game, entertainers use their talents to regale their audiences and leaders use their strengths to influence others to initiate change.
Therefore, I have determined that this notion of how you do anything is how you do everything can be a good thing. If you harness your talents and nurture them and ultimately make them your strengths, you too can use them to achieve your desired results. I encourage you commit to growing your strengths and use them to do everything. When you master the art of unlocking your strengths and step into the version of yourself that uses your strengths to do anything, then you will find that how you do everything will result in more positive results.
Management expert, Peter Drucker says, “everyone ought to know what their strengths are’. How you do anything is how you do everything when guided by your strengths creates patterns of success. Your strengths are your means of making positive contributions in the world. Your strengths are your inborn, hard-wired resources for good works. If you’re not making the most of your strengths, everyone's missing out. Start maximizing your strengths.
Discover, Declare and Develop your Strengths:
“If you are not focusing on your strengths then what are you focusing on?”
Because there’s a 1 in 33 million chance of you having the same top 5 talents in the same order as someone else, YOU are unique. Be inspired to live in your strengths zone. Join us in the world of strengths. Focus on Your Strengths.
If you have any questions about anything that you have read in this article, or you’d like to talk to us about helping your team to understand the power of Strengths then connect with us today to see if we might be a good fit to help your team or organization build a Strengths Based culture.
Larry Hammond, Sr.
Start your Strengths Journey with our Basic Introduction Course
Uncovering your Strengths…A Journey of Discovery
Ivanhoe Donaldson – “Hard but Fair”- Finding My Strengths through a Mentor
In my varying leadership roles over the years, I have worked to develop staff, managers and professionals to perform their best in their respective roles. I have employed many techniques to extract the highest performance achievable in the administration of projects and programs. Now, as a strengths consultant, I engage my clients in helping leaders to breakthrough performance barriers that have been holding them back from achieving optimal success.
While on my journey exploring the virtues of using strengths to bring out the best in yourself and others, I became drawn to how other people have helped me over the years to become the person that I am today. Just recently, I heard that one of my mentors had passed away. His name was Ivanhoe Donaldson, a civil rights activist and an astute political tactician who became a confidant of Marion Barry, the former Mayor of Washington, D.C. In his early years, Ivanhoe assisted in voter-registration in the South where he became a field secretary for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). He worked with SNCC for a number of years as director of their New York office where he had an enduring association with Marion Barry who was the national chairman for SNCC. He went on to manage Barry’s successful campaigns for the D.C. City Council and then later his upset victory to become mayor of the District of Columbia. During Barry’s term as mayor, Ivanhoe was described as a combative but effective troubleshooter for the mayor where he served as Director of the Department of Employment Services and Deputy Mayor for Economic Development.
It was at the Department of Employment Services where I first met Ivanhoe. I was just out of college and had begun my public service career with the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program. The summer youth program was the mayor’s signature project. He had run his campaign on promising all young people in the city between the ages of 14 and 21 a summer job if they wanted to work. This, to say the least, was a daunting task. Registering, hiring, placing and paying over 30,000 youth for summer jobs proved to be too much for the system and the first year of this ambitious endeavor was dubbed a failure. Kids got lost in the system, job placements were inadequate and, worst of all, many of the young people didn’t get paid on time or at all. The mayor took full responsibility for the flop and insisted that the breakdown was due to his overzealous plan that overloaded the system. While, not backing down on his promise to give all youth the opportunity to work, the mayor promised to dedicate the proper resources and leadership needed to fix the problems. To do this, the mayor hired a new staff and called in Ivanhoe to oversee the program who was charged with ensuring its success.
I remember sitting in a room with newly hired staff waiting to meet the new director. While I had heard of him, I had never seen of met him before. When he came into the room, I remember him being much smaller than I had imagined. He was very animated and moved around a lot. He seemed a little nervous. He was introduced to the team, an eclectic group of movers and shakers, who were fired up to get started. Being from Bronx, Ivanhoe brought is distinctive New York accent to his persona. He challenged the group to do their best and to be their best while noting the challenges that were before us. He said that we needed to keep up with him and not to fall behind. He said that, “I’m hard but I’m fair”. This phrase stuck with me because I wasn’t quite sure what that meant.
After the meeting, the team members began to talk about our new boss and those that knew him began to add flavor to the hard but fair representation – “he’s kind of crazy you know” – “I’ve seen him make grown men cry” – “he will chop you off at the knees and won’t think anything of it”. Well, I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect but I knew it would be an interesting ride.
The summer youth team had a standing meeting with Ivanhoe at 5:30 every day. We would often wait in his conference room sometimes for up to an hour for him to arrive. His mood would change depending on how his day had been going. At these meetings, we had to give updated on the status of program operations. In one of our first meetings, when he walked in he noticed that on of the participants had their chair pushed back a little too far and his head was touching one of the paintings on the wall. Ivanhoe paused and glared over at the individual and in a stern tone said, “who in the hell do you think that you are?” He went on to explain that the picture belonged to the tax payers of the city and that the staffer was defacing their property. The meetings would often go on for several hours into the night including tense encounters especially when either information or substance from staff was deficient. Ivanhoe did run a tight ship. I admired his commitment and his tenacious spirit. And yes, I did actually see him make a grown man cry in a meeting. But all in all, he believed in us. He believed that we could actually pull this off and make the program successful.
One evening, I was bringing some information to his office suite. As I was about to leave, Ivanhoe called me into his office and told me to sit down. He asked me how things were going and wanted to know what I thought we should do. He told me that he saw me as up and coming and that he expected much me. During this encounter he repeated to me that he “was hard but fair” and told me to never be afraid of that. He seemed to know how others perceived him.
As time passed, tensions grew as the onset of summer was imminent. Deadlines were nearing and in all big projects, some aspects program were going awry. In one specific incident, in the Spring, Ivanhoe became dissatisfied with the contractor that was working on the payroll process for the youth. In a surprising move, he abruptly fired the contractor and said that we would process the payroll in-house. Needless to say, this was going to be a most daunting task. Knowing that I had an affinity for computers and that I had an integral knowledge of the overall operations of the program, Ivanhoe directed me to work with the IT staff to design the payroll process.
Over the next 2 months, staff worked 24/7 to accomplish the task at hand. It was during a very contentious status meeting were it looked like that we were not going to meet our deadline. Of course this would have been a total disaster and was unacceptable. Failure was not an option. To my surprise, Ivanhoe pulled me aside after the meeting where he actually grabbed me by my shirt collar, held me against the wall and said “Larry, you can do this – I need you to make these IT people see this through. Let me know what you need. I am depending on you.” Well, I was shocked. First of all, I was probably the least senior member in the room that day and I wasn’t sure what I could do the influence the others on the team.
This experience challenged me to find my strengths. Now that I have taken the Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment I know what my strengths themes are today. Upon reflection, I can see how I relied on these combination of talents to navigate this test. I can see that early in my career these talents were manifested in my actions. My top 5 strengths are: Maximizer, Arranger, Strategic, Analytical and Responsibility. In this situation, I used each of my strengths to help the team make the summer program a success. With many moving parts, I grew my talents and pushed my abilities in the realms of arranger and strategic. I sharpened my skills in the ranges of maximizer and analytical. And, I became grounded in scope of responsibility as I realized the magnitude of what we were trying to accomplish.
Yes, I grew considerably that year. I was pushed by a mentor that I didn’t even know that I needed. Ivanhoe Donaldson saw something in me that I didn’t know that I had – he saw my strengths before I saw my own. I am eternally grateful to my mentor for spurring my growth and seeding my accomplishments. But I am most thankful to him for helping me to find my strengths – It was “hard but fair”.
If you want to reach your personal and leadership potential, then it requires maximizing your strengths. This only happens if you develop and focus on the areas you are most talented and strong. Take a step back and assess your own strengths. Understanding what influences you and how you make decisions. It takes being disciplined and being intentional if you want to become the best in your strengths. People often miss this opportunity because they never discovered their strengths or they spend more time focusing on and sharpening their weaknesses – they try to be well rounded and master many things and they lose sight of their passions and their dreams. They fear risk and stay in their comfort zone while never moving past their successes or failures. If you desire to begin maximizing your strengths and celebrating your gifts and talents, then begin by focusing on what you do well, your strengths and contributions.
Building on and developing strengths is a lifelong process. It takes focus and tenacity to “Discover, Declare and Develop” your strengths, which is a tenant of the StrengthsFinder® movement. Employing a strengths-based approach to fully engaging your strengths is the best way to create high performing teams and organizations of excellence. Larry Hammond, Principal –V1H Consulting
To learn more about Larry Hammond, V1H Consulting or how to build on your or your team’s strengths visit us at: www.v1hconsulting.com
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